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Abultions

Hi All,

       I feel I should start this mail with..'Hi, my name is Liz and I am
an Abultion addict' :-).  I blame this addiction on the visit (back in May)
to the small nursery which I told you about; I have been corresponding with
the owner who has very generously sent me some of her rooted cuttings - I
think she is as passionate about the plants as me.  I have also been buying
any I can find, mostly on the bargain tables as they are pricey in the
garden centres.  I have also sown some seeds which resulted from my own
cross pollination;  they are amazingly easy to germinate, coming up just
like cress! I am now waiting to see the results...

        I am trying to collect as many of the species as I can, as well as
the various forms of A. hybridum, but I have hit a snag with A. insigne. 
It is shown in Roger Phillips' book (Conservatory and House plants, Book 1)
but isn't listed in the RHS Plant Finder, which is an amazing catalogue of
70,000 plants and where they can be found in the UK.  **Can anyone help?** 
I would be more than pleased to swop seed if you are interested.  

        The genus has a great variety of leaf shape, flower form and colour
- they can be tall, upright plants (like A. pictum 'Thompsonii'); lax
shrubs, suitable for a hanging basket (A. megapotanicum) or dainty like
A.'Cannington Carole', which has yellow blotched leaves and soft red open
bells.  Flower colour ranges from pure white, through the yellows, oranges
and reds to a deep crimson, often netted with veins of a deeper colour. 
The flowers themselves have prominant calyxes, often red, sometimes bright
green or brown.

        Can you tell I'm smitten? (Have I perhaps piqued your curiosity?) 
Of course, I am still on the lookout for any other unusual house plants, I
keep thinking that I can't possibly find room for any more.  But somehow I
always manage to... It may have been a mistake to get the latest RHS Plant
Finder, apart from the plant list, all the nurseries are listed, together
with their specialities, whether they do mail order, cost of a catalogue
etc.  I can't resist catalogues either, so I have sent away for about a
dozen...  Now all I have to do is to win the lottery so that I can install
an up-to-the-minute enormous greenhouse to house everything (with full
central heating, gro-lights and automatic watering systems of course!)

        It's nice to have dreams...
Happy gardening. ( The Monstera flower is still on course to open...)
Liz in a (still) muggy East of Scotland.
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